The Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 29, No. 11, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 30, 1943 Page: 2 of 4
four pages : ill. ; page 22 x 15 in.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
' v > J
. u
hit Tw#
-ill
J
;'f;h
JH
*******
Socialism—A Panacea For Ai
mm-1'-
The editors of The Daily Texan brought down on their
heads the literary wrath of many Texas editors because of the
socialistic tone of their columns in which they denounce our
present way of life, on the basis of its principles. For this same
cause, the writer of the letter in the "Letters to the Editor"
section of this issue would have The Thresher involve Rice in
the same type of notoriety.
In this letter, no specific point is proved, or no positive fact
denied. On the contrary, the first paragraph admits the thesis
of the whole article which the letter is trying to decry. Instead
of arguing point for point, the letter writer immediately starts
out on a tangent to the subject, and attempts to persuade the
gullible readers that, in want of any better suggestion, they
should adopt a strong federalism in order to better the people's
welfare. Such a proposed federalism is socialistic government,
in varying degrees as the whim happens to strike the men in
power. The proposed changes for the people's good are mere
hypotheses, with no more real basis for believing in their possi-
bilities of materializing than in their possible existence.
On one point the critic is right. 'We all believe that it is not
sufficient to fight only for what we had before the war. But
what do our war aims have to do with the usurpation of our
well-earned and, until recently, well-used right of self-determi-
nation and self-government? We should indeed hope to give all
men a better way of life. But is any wide-awake American fool
enough to believe that we can help anyone, or survive ourselves,
if we discard those principles of the Law of Supply and Demand,
and the initiative of the individual man as our prime movers?
Has ever a nation done so and remained -for long a power in the
affairs of men? Such mouthings are what this letter proposed
for you and your fellow citizen to live by.
In place of this "necessary" socialistic state, we, as Ameri-
cans, can be ingenuous enough to devise some method of manag-
ing our affairs without giving up our economical and political
freedom.
First, it is well to examine the necessity of a change. The
opposition states that there is room for improvement. Granted;
has anything ever connected with human beings existed with-
out need of improvement? But merely because a large plant does
not function to the best of its ability, do the owners scrap it
with its entire method of operation, and start on something new
without first determining if some type of improvement can be
made on the present one? Such analogous proceedings by the
American public at this time would indeed prove foolish and in-
effective. There are indeed improvements to be made, too nu-
merous to mention, but this should be the method of attack: one
of constructive criticism rather than one of ruthless destruc-
tion.
There is one other point which is in need, of clarification.
The critic jumps to the false conclusion that any progress made
will necessarily have to be made under the supervision of fed-
eral agencies. This statement shows to what depths of weakness
our thinking has gone. Why shouldn't Americans, free and en-
dowed with the best background that the world can afford, in
free and equal representative debate, work out methods of ac-
complishing the will of the majority.
The argument of necessity for a stronger governmental
control over that of the democracies is exactly the same argu-
ment used,by Hitler on the German people in 1934. Look to what
great heights they have advanced in the last ten years. When
the critic says that the present system is "incapable of ade-
quately providing the people with food, clothing, shelter, and
the other necessities for full development" he is making this
charge against the system which has brought America to the
position of having the highest standard of living of any nation
in the entire world, regardless of its type of government. And
it was America with a system of free enterprise, not of social-
ism, that did this.
Even with the jaundiced eye of the American federalist,
the proposed systems and "need" are to the intelligent man the
antithesis of what will occu^when this war is over. Americans
have always governed themselves, and inr so cloing, have done
what they, the people, wanted to do. Our troubles are many and
varied, but not one will be definitely solved by the adoption or
continuation of policies which are contrary to the American way
of thinking, regardless of what they may be.—D.E.H.
a week-end! There's just
nothing like the first football game
to really get you in the spirit, or
spirits, as the ease may be. The all-
school picnic went over very success-
fully, judging by the number of peo-
ple that attended. Of course, the
drizzle did dampen everyone's spirit
a little, but fun was had by all. And
the pep rally, with its display of Rice
talent, which we had managed to
keep hidden up to now, was super.
Conspicuously absent for most of
the picnic were Stanley and Allene,
who staggered in late, keeping all
the food and drink for themselves
. . It was good to see Kiki and Pat
Ryan having such a good time to-
gether. Both expressed regret that
Sophie couldn't join them . . . Also
in high spirits were Mary Jo and
Skip, who used a raincoat for an ice-
bucket . . . Libby and Dan joined
them with chicken, and they all pro-
ceeded to drink an unnamed mixture
which tasted faintly like coffin var-
nish. Nuff said . . . Neal and Ruth
were seen munching happily, while
Gil and Bob Allen were fighting over
her third lunch . . . The tee-hee duo
(Ella and Estelle) and Marie Jo
Johnston managed to find plenty of
of men to eat with—they brought
good lunches, and besides Ella hand-
ed out the numbers . . . The French
sisters did all right without illegal
assistance—so did Mary Dee and
Margie . . . Whose dainty pearl ring
does Shirley Simons wear on the lit-
tle finger of his left hand ? Are con-
gratulations in order.
Then the game was really wet—
take that however you want to. The
rain either put out Ada Dean's torch
or kindled some inner fire within
Carl because they were together and
apparently happy . . . Louise Loose
found a new man to take Rob Nis-
bet's place . . . The famous Patty
Shepherd turned up with equally fa-
mous Chili Richards at the stadium,
their old stomping grounds ... A
new twosome spotted was Bottler
and Grace Picton . . . The Ellington
cadets really took over Rice women,
among them Carolyn Knapp, Evelyn
Nicholson, Lucy Quinby, and Virgin-
ia Arnold. Looks like the navy had
best do something about situations
like this . . . Sara Nan Snoddy turned
up with Murray Smythe . . . Mary
Jane Ellis, while waiting for her
date, seemed to have Jack Berry and
Sweetie Garrett to keep her company
. . . Nutting almost succeeded in tak-
ing Cecile away from McElroy
George Trammel, bottleless and
dateless at the game—there's a very
blond blond that was bemoaning that
fact ... It was good to see Hortense
Manning and Tom Hammond chap
eroning the newly-weds. We've been
missing you, Horse.
After the game, the architects
congregated at Angelo's 'mid tin-
kling of many glasses (of milk).
But the real tee-totlers went out to
the Hat. Beall and Camille got
kicked out because she wasn't
clothed properly . . . Buck Wright,
Ralph Young, and Beth Hummel
hung on desperately to a table they
were about to float away with. Ralph
and Beth were completely ignoring
each other . . . George Patterson,
ever-present Ella, Bixby, Bob Quinn,
and others sat in a drier location . . .
Moppy, the toasty-complexioned one,
made her appearance at a table of
Owls and ex-Owls . . . Wayne and
Betty Ann were there too. Is this
Wayne's new love we've been hear-
ing so much about, or is it one of
many . . . Rex Fuller and Dorothy
Jean Weghorst make a new twosome
of interest.
Not much news about the E. B.
slumber party yet, but plenty went
on and plenty was found out. Boys
exjfjessed dispust at the lack of par-
ty spirit in their E. B. dates—they
were supposed to be in at 12:30 . . .
Ask Betty Bills if she made it on
By Rosemary King
When Richard Wagner was exiled
from Germany and had to take ref-
uge in Switzerland, the makings of
one of the greatest, if not the great-
est, operatic masterpieces took place.
The tetralogy of "Der Ring Des
Nibelungen" may be said to repre-
sent the supreme culmination of op-
eratic progress, both for the nine-
teenth century and for all times.
Wagner created a musical standard
which has never been equalled or
surpassed, and with the Ring series
his use of operatic and dramatic the-
ories is most highly developed. Pre-
vious to his ideals of continuous
melody and the "leitmotif" to in-
sure thought in music characters
and actions, and the music of opera,
especially in Italy, has expressed
only the slightest and most inco
herent change of mood on the stage
But with Wagner, real musical
drama began, giving the foundations
which his contemporaries used but
could not improve. It is doubtful
whether present day composers can
do even that, since there seems to
be no one living to write opera, nor
has anyone lived since Wagner's
time who could do as well.
The "Ring of the Nibelung" is in
theiform of a trilogy and prologue.
The writing of it took 16 years, and
a complete performance of it would
take over 11 hours if staged in its
entirety.
The plot is one of the most in-
volved of all Wagner's operas. The
old German epic of the Nibelungen-
lied, upon which it is based, has been
greatly remodeled by the composer,
and used for the story of the magic
ring and its fatal connection with
Siegfried, the hero. Another source
was the legends of Norse mythology
and the gods and goddesses which
were transformed into Wagnerian
mythology.
In the prologue, "Das Rheingold,"
Warner linked his two legendary in-
spirations, gods and Nibelungs. In
"Die Walkure," ("Chooser of the
Slain") the events pertaining to the
birth of the hero, Siegfried, and his
parents' divine origin are set forth.
In "Siegfried," the second of the tri
;V-! : ,,
,L - .
logy, his life is told; and in "Goiter,
dammerung," Siegfried's death.
The myths are greatly altered
from their original form and are
made more vivid by musical inter-
pretation, about which individual
hearings only are able to have mean-
ing. The entire Ring cycle tells of the
development of many changes of
fortune brought about by the curse
that Nibelung Alberich, the dwarf,
placed on the power-giving Ring.
Nibelung forged the Ring out of
gold stolen from the Rhine-maidens,
only to have it wrested from him by
Wotan, ruler of the gods. The Ring
brought a curse upon all who pos-
sessed it and finally caused the de-
struction of the entire race of gods;
its power ceased only when its re-
turn to the waters of the Rhine was
accomplished.
Wagner is not only famous for
this series of operatic works, for we
have only to mention his pianistic
accomplishments as well as his nu-
merous other operas, such as "The
Flying Dutchman," "Tannhauser,"
"Lohengrin," "Tristan und Isolde,"
"Die Meistersinger," and "Parsifal,"
to call to mind the incredible scope
of his genius as a composer, poet,
dramatist, conductor, and a theoret-
ical musical philosopher.
o
Society
GUL yiw
The early morning corporate com-
munion, which is sponsored by the
Canterbury Club, will be held this
Friday at 7 a.m. at Palmer Memorial
Church. Breakfast will be served at
7:30 at Autry House. The navy boys
especially are invited to attend.
The Baptist Student Union has
planned a, picnic and skating party
for October 2. Everyone will meet
at Autry House at 8 p.m. Each girl
will bring sandwiches. The party
will go to Herman Park to eat their
lunches and listen to the Rice-LSU
game. At 10:30 everyone will go to
the South Main Roller Rink for
skating. All Baptists are invited.
time. Nobody seems to have seen
her after the game V. . Murnez was
late, Katy was later, but Mary Dee
came in latest. And she had a date
with Sydow . . . Sara Ann Williams
stole the show when she walked in
with a sparkler that big. Nice work,
S. A.
By the way Rosalie, we hear you
have at date with Bobby Maurice for
the E. B. dance, and it was made
ages ago. More thinks like that
should happen to more people.
Funny sight—June saving ten
seats at the game all by herself. By
the way, we saw Marian Holland at
the Plants with an Aggie. Is that
school spirit, Marian?
Congratulations to the Pals on
their burlesque for the navy. It was
really entertaining, although a little
corny.
(Continued on page 4)
By Bobby Sahol
Rosalie Meek
is having an open house for all
members of the Elizabeth Baldwin
Literary Society and their dates
from 7 until 9 p.m., October 9. The
open house, Which will precede the
EBLS dance, will be held at Rosalie
Meek's home on 224 Rice Boulevard.
The PALS
entertainec^Wednesday.might, not
only the navy students but all- Other
students who wished to attend, with
a burlesque at Autry House.
The EBLS
had their first slumber session of
the new semester Saturday night at
Martha Shaw Bailey's home on Bis-
sonnet. A very good time was had
by all attending. The food committee
was comprised of Pat Stevens and
Annette Gano. Coffee and rolls were
served f<>r breakfast. The EBLS has
already begun plans for its next
slumber party.
Bernice McCoy
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. M. H.
McCoy, was married to Aviation Ca-
det A. D. Scotty, Jr., son of Mr. and
Mrs. A. D. Scotty, Saturday in the
post chapel at Selman Field, Mon-
roe, Louisiana. Both the bride and
groom were from Houston. Mrs.
Scotty, Jr., attended the University
of Houston and the groom attended
Rice before enlisting in the army air
force.
,* 0—
BUT *~"
WAR
BONDS
THE THRESHER
Entered as second class matter,
October 17, 1916, at the post office
in Houston, Texas, under the act of
March 3, 1879. Subscription price:
by mail, one year 75 cent3 payable
in war stamps.
Editor Bettie Lou Johnson
Bus. Mgr. Margaret Morrison
Sports Editor Mildred McCall
Society Editor Bobby Sahol
Music Editor Rosemary King
Mailing Editors Jean Greenmas
Betsy Atkinson
Reporters Jean Brock, Joyoe
Pounds, Betty Smith, Addison Mc-
Elroy, Preston Frazier, Nelsie
Jayne Love, Neli Ranson, Dorothy
Marshall, Cecllle Sass, Joan Logan,
Barbara Ewing, Frank King.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
The Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 29, No. 11, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 30, 1943, newspaper, September 30, 1943; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth230588/m1/2/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.